2GB boss out of tune with Singo

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Macquarie Media chief executive officer Angela Clark has denied
radio station 2GB will sack staff and cut costs despite her boss,
John Singleton, saying the contrary.

Singleton, who is set to become about $50 million richer when
Macquarie Radio is floated on the sharemarket next year, said staff
faced an uncertain future.

"Will there be cost cuts? Yes. People will pay the price? Yes,"
he was reported yesterday as saying.

But his chief executive, with whom he reportedly clashed this
month, has said radio station 2GB intended to increase staff
numbers and the budget would not be trimmed.

"We are undergoing a review to make sure we are in the best
shape possible before the IPO [Initial Public Offer]," she said.
"But we are not looking to save money by cutting costs."

While Singleton has accused 2GB staff of being fat and lazy, Ms
Clark said they were fantastic and she had no intention of reducing
numbers.

"There is a lot of potential to increase revenue before the
IPO," she said. "Our sales team has been fantastic. We are
investing in our sales team, not cutting costs. We are growing the
business and sometimes to do that you have to spend money to make
money. We intend to put on additional sales staff."

Her statement comes at a time when staff are expressing concerns
about paucity of pay rises this year while star broadcasters Alan
Jones and Ray Hadley take home a reported $4 million and $2 million
annually, saying morale had plummeted.

"There is a queue of people coming into my office telling me how
happy they are and how much they enjoy doing their jobs," Ms Clark
countered. "Everyone here has a passion for working in radio."

But about 20 per cent of the staff have left this year with
general manager Louise Barrett also announcing her resignation on
Thursday.